Entries in Columbia River Gorge
(4)

I started noticing this stand of trees a couple months ago in the Columbia River Gorge near Horsetail Falls. Ever since then they’ve looked dead, desolate, and dark. I wonder what they’ll look like in the spring…

It was unusually cold here in mid-December, and I was sitting in my office at work when I got a text from my neighbor saying that Multnomah Falls had frozen over! I did a quick web search and it looked like this didn’t happen very often so I went out early the next morning at sunrise to check it out and this is what I found. Pretty cool!

This is my favorite place in the Columbia River Gorge and one of the most amazing and beautiful places I have ever been. It’s one of those places that you lose time in as you immerse yourself in the surroundings. I love the way the basalt walls of the gorge tilt in from different angles and when it is raining, little waterfalls stream in from the sides. It is truly beautiful and amazing.

I used a Lee Big Stopper 10 stop ND filter to make a 3 minute exposure to smooth out the water and give it that blue cast.

Getting there - driving to the entrance, it looks like little more than a small creek with a road crossing it. Even walking down to the creek you never really get a sense for what could be ahead. You have to be prepared to get wet and walk up through the creek to a giant log jamb at the opening to the gorge (just a few hundred feet form the road) and then carefully pick your way up and climbing over the log jamb to get to the other side (it’s about 15 feet high and 50 feet long). It can be really dangerous when wet and you’d slip and break an ankle or fall into the deep water below. (I put on Kahtoola Microspikes when I’m going here so I don’t slip). On summer days, you might be able to actually get into the creek on the other side but watch out after a rain fall as the water just past the log jamb is 10ft or more deep with a strong current. If you can make it all the way up the creek (you’ll have to swim some spots) there is a neat hidden waterfall waiting for you at the end.

This amazing waterfall is just an easy one mile hike from a small parking lot near the Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge. Anne and Gus were along for this hike and Gus hiked nearly the whole way by himself. He does really good hiking for a 22mo old!

Just as we got to the falls, the fog started to break and the sun came streaming out through the trees at the top. There were so many great pictures from that morning, it was ahrd to pick one to post today! I’m sure there will be more in the future :)